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New York Yankees' Aaron Hicks, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Sonny Gray (55) during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, June 18, 2018, in Washington. Nick Wass, AP

New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner (11) rounds the bases after hitting a game tying two run home run against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Brad Penner, Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

A photographer snaps a picture of New York Yankees' Gleyber Torres, who drips with ice water after he was doused with it after he hit a ninth-inning, walk-off, three-run home run in a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians in New York, Sunday, May 6, 2018. Kathy Willens/AP

New York Yankees' Tyler Austin, center, rushes Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly, right, after being hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. At left holding back Austin is Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez. Charles Krupa, AP

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (24) celebrates after hitting a three run home run in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins to win the game at Yankee Stadium. Noah K. Murray, Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees' Didi Gregorius motions to the dugout after hitting a single against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 24, 2018, in New York. Julie Jacobson, AP

Mar 29, 2018; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates a two run home run in the first inning with New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner (11) during the Toronto Blue Jays home opener at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports Nick Turchiaro, USA TODAY Sports

Jun 6, 2018; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts as he celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two run home run against Toronto Blue Jays in the 13th inning at Rogers Centre. Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

CLEVELAND — Four of Aaron Boone’s players are headed to the All-Star Game.

“I heard I’m going to Six Flags,’’ the manager said.

And the rest of the Yankees will scatter to their homes or go on mini-vacations, secure in their vision for October yet mindful of the workload ahead.

“We’ve put ourselves in a really good position. Overall, we’ve played really well (but) we’re not satisfied at all in that room,’’ Boone said before the Yankees dropped their series finale at Progressive Field.

Michael Brantley’s tie-breaking home run against reliever Chad Green kick-started a three-run eighth, moving the Indians toward a 5-2 win before 32,644 fans.

“Ultimately, our goal is to win the division at the end of the year and right now we’re not in the lead,’’ Brett Gardner said after the first-place Red Sox opened a 4.5-game lead – their largest advantage on the Yankees (62-33) since April 23.

“We’ve got to play better baseball,’’ Gardner said. “I think there’s definitely room for improvement all across the board.’’

Boone’s club has reached the All-Star break with MLB’s second-best record, yet the Yanks have dropped 6.5 games in the standings since June 22, with a record of 12-11 over that span.

Aaron Judge will start in right field for the AL All-Stars and Luis Severino might start the game, with rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres (strained right hip) and closer Aroldis Chapman (resting due to left knee tendinitis) along for the ceremonies.

And when the Yankees reconvene on Friday, hosting the second Subway Series against the Mets, Boone hopes his players will be fully re-charged, arriving “with the idea that we’ve got a long way to go … and our expectation is that we’re going to be great.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position to have that opportunity,’’ Boone said. “But we’ve got a long way (to) being that complete team that we hope to be in the end.’’

Improved Masahiro Tanaka falls short

As Masahiro Tanaka stated through an interpreter, “the way I’m pitching will be very important’’ to the Yankees’ pennant hopes.

On Sunday, Tanaka felt he was “pretty good for the most part,’’ yielding two runs over 6.1 innings, his second start back after missing a month due to strained hamstrings.

However, “if I could take back that hanging slider …’’

Staked to a 2-0 lead, Tanaka gave up a two-run homer to Edwin Encarnacion in the fourth – coming two batters after the right-hander issued his only walk on Sunday.

“Really strong, encouraging outing for him,’’ Boone said of Tanaka, who used just 77 pitches and struck out five batters. “He’s so important to us going forward in the second half.’’

Trevor Bauer & Carlos Carrasco

Though he yielded some hard hits early – including Judge’s rocket single that hopped off the left field wall and a 115.7 mph Giancarlo Stanton single during a scoreless first inning – Indians All-Star starter Trevor Bauer lasted seven innings, yielding two runs.

But after Aaron Hicks’ two-out RBI single in the third and Neil Walker’s fourth-inning solo homer – his first since May 23 at Texas – the Yanks had one more hit over the final five innings.

Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco, an 11-game winner, made his first bullpen appearance since 2014, tossing a scoreless inning before Cody Allen got the save.

Improving down the stretch

On a club that is 29 games over .500, “I think I can play better,’’ said Gardner, who singled and scored one of the two Yankee runs on Sunday. “I can’t speak for guys up and down the lineup but I think if you asked all the guys in the room, guys would say they could do a little better.

“It’s easy to sit here and nitpick and try and see what we maybe could’ve done different, or how we could be better,'' Gardner said as the Yanks split their four-game series with Cleveland and finished a 6-5 road trip, including stops at Toronto and Baltimore.

"But ultimately we have to be better if we want to win the division and get to where we want to be at, which is win a World Series.’’